gardner



(No Model.)

R. W. 8v J. W. GARDNER.

G0VBRN0R.

No. 300,705. 110.0011000011110 V17, 1884.

Y vs: Inventors Attorny UNiTED STATES PATENT' OFFICE.

ROBERT W. GARDNER AND JOHN W. GARDNER, OE oUiNoY, ILLINOIS, AssrGNoRsrro THE GARDNER GOVERNOR COMPANY, OE sAME PLAGE.

GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,705, dated June1'7, 1884.

' Application tiled February Q7, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, ROBERT W. GARDNER and JOHN W. GARDNER, of Quincy,Adams county, Illinois, have invented certain new 5 and usefulImprovements in Governors, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention-.relates to centrifugal governors for steam-engines, 85o.

In United States Letters Patent No. 287,822, granted November 6, 1883,for an improvement in governors, upon the application of Robert WV.Gardner, is set forth a governor in which the balls are supported uponthe upper free ends of vertically-arranged bladelike springs which serveas the main centripetal elements. In that device the outward movement ofthe-balls was ina path having a curvature determined by the sweep of thesprings, the tendency of the ball as it flew outward being downward,which downward tendency was communicated to asliding sleeve providedwith radial arms upon which the balls impinged. The valve-stem orregulating-rod was so attached .to the sleeve as to 2 5 partake of itsmovements. l

The present invention presents many of the peculiar characteristics ofthe governor set forth in the above-mentioned patent, which may beincidentally referred to in connection with the description of thepresent device.

The present invention will be fully understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation, part section, of a governorembodying our improvements; Fig. 2, a vertical section upon the line bof Fig. 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrow c; and Fig.3, a side view of one. of the balls and its immediate attachments asviewed in the direction indicated by the arrow c on Fig. l.

In the drawings, A represents the housing of a governor, of the formcommonly employed in governors, arranged in direct connection with thesteam-valve operated; B, a

stiff tube with its lower end rigidly secured inv the housing,with itsaxis corresponding with the axis of the governor; C, abevel-gear t- 5oted to revolve freely upon the tube; D, the

pulley-shaft of the governor; E, the bevelgear on the pulley-shaft, bywhich motion is given to the gear C, and through itto the centrifugalparts of the governor; F, a sleeve tted to revolve freely andreciprocate freely upon the exterior of the tube; G, the governorstem,so attached to the sleeveF as to reciprocate with it, this stem beingcarried downward through the tube to make connection with thegovernor-valve or other means of regulation;

cylindrical cavity in the housing, oppositely disposed to the lever M ata point below its axis of oscillation; O, a push-pin axially arranged inthis cavity and impinging with its end against the lever M; P, a spiralspring surrounding the push-pin, engaginga shoulder upon the pin andinclosed in the cavity N, so disposed as to urge the push-pin outward,and consequently, through the instrumentality of the levers,urge thegovernor-stem downward; Q, a hand-screw threaded into the rear of thecavity N, surrounding theheel of the push-pin, and serves as anadjustable abutment for the spiral spring; and R,the bearing in whichthe lever-shaft is supported.

` The springs J are so strained that their tend ency isto pressthe/balls inward, whereby they serve as the main centripetal agents. As

the balls fly outward under centrifugal influence they will move in acurved horizontal path, which may be generally described as an arcmodied by a radius of changing length, the radius being represented bythe flexing springs J, rigid at the lower ends.

The links I represent a radius of lesser length i than thatcorresponding with the arc described by the balls in their outwardmovement. The sleeve to which the lower ends of the links are pivoted,being free to rise and fall, nullifies the effect of the links indetermining the IOO tremity of the shorter radius being free to ad 1ojust itself with reference to the extremity of `ply may be so connectedthe longer radius.

The springs .I are narrowest at the balls, as indicated in Fig. 3. Iheeffect of. this practical weakening of the spring toward its free end isto concentrate most of the curvature at its eXtreme of iiexure at theupper portion of the spring, whereby under eXtreme iiexure the radius,77if such it may be called, of the ballarc becomes greatly sh ortenedasthe balls move outward; hence as the ball moves outward there is lessconiiict betweenthe radius of the ball-arc and the radius of the links.By this means we secure a direct graduating governing action.-

While we set forth the springs J as iitted to serve as centripetalagents, and at the same time as practical links for controlling the areof ball travel, we do not confine ourselves to the structure in whichthe springs fulfill both oiices. Long links may take the place of thesprings, and springs as centripetal agents simas to urge the ballsinward. It will be noticed that as the balls move outward under increaseof speed the sleeve and governing-stem move upward 5 hence theregulating-valve, or whatever device the stem is to actuate, must bearranged with this effect in View. If the stem is attached directly to avalve, the closing motion of the valve is to be an upward one.

The lever M, with its shaft and toe-lever, is

lthe usual arrangement of Speeder and sawyers cut-oli. The tendency ofthe spiral spring is to urge the governor-stem in a direction suited toincrease the speed of the motor. The tension of the spring is adjustedby means of a hand-screw, Q, the recess N serving to inclose the spring,andthe position of the recess or easement of the spring is such as to beneatly and cheaply embodied in the housing and be free from liability tobe clogged by dirt or be disturbed by accidental contact.

We claim as our invention- 1. In a governor, the combination of thegovernor-balls, the springs for urging the balls inward and determiningtheir arc of travel, the links I, attached to the balls and having alength less than the radius corresponding to 'the arc of ball travel,and having their lower pivots free to rise and fall, anda reciprocatingbody connected to said pivots and adapted to transmit their rising andfalling motion to a regulator, substantially as set forth.

2. In a governor, the combination of the governor-balls, the pivotedlinks, and the arccontrolling springs J, having a decrease of area attheir upper ends, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a governor, the combination of the housing A, the governor-stem G,the levers K and M, the spiral spring P, and hand-screw Q, combinedsubstantially as and for the purpose specified.

ROBERT W. GARDNER. JOHN W. GARDNER Witnesses:

GEO. A. SPENCER, ARTHUR E. SLACK.

